WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday which establishes new initiatives on apprenticeships and workforce development.
“We’re here today to celebrate the dignity of work … and the greatness of the American worker,” said Trump ahead of signing the order.
He explained that the executive order would “expand apprenticeships and vocational training to help all Americans find a rewarding career, earn a great living, and support themselves and their families and love going to work in the morning.”
“We will be removing federal restrictions that have prevented many different industries from creating apprenticeship programs,” said President Trump. “We have regulations on top of regulations.” He highlighted the volumes of regulations pulled back thus far under the Trump administration.
“Apprenticeships place students into great jobs without the crippling debt of traditional four-year college degrees,” said Trump. “Instead apprentices earn while they learn.”
Trump highlighted Charles Nobel from Wisconsin who, like many other apprentices present, benefited from an apprenticeship program. Nobel is a three time combat veteran who returned from war and “began taking machine tool operations courses from a technical college,” said Trump. “He immediately excelled and by the end of his year long apprenticeship, Charles will be making more than $60,000 dollars a year and going up a lot higher than that. And he loves what he does.”
He said they were joined by governors from around the country who had just spoken about apprenticeship programs.
“We have to join forces, join hands, and join together to restore the American Dream for all people,” said Trump. He went on to say that the United States is coming down very hard on the massive drug problem in this country.
A senior White House official told reporters ahead of the signing that the executive order is centered on skill-based, flexible earn-and-learn programs.
The new EO “responds to the desire of third-party groups to create more flexible apprenticeship programs and directs the Department of Labor (DOL) to allow companies, trade associations, and unions to develop their own “industry-recognized apprenticeship” guidelines, which DOL will review for quality and then approve,” according to a fact sheet provided by the Trump Administration.
The new executive order directs the Department of Labor to “use available funding to promote apprenticeships, especially in sectors where apprenticeships are not currently widespread.” The order also establishes a task force that will make recommendations for promoting apprenticeships.
The order also “requires all Federal agencies to review and evaluate the effectiveness of their job training programs, and consider how to best consolidate certain programs for increased accountability.”
The order comes in the midst of a week that the Trump Administration has deemed “workforce development week.”
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